Protesters target RBC's tar sands

Bank brass say they're proud of environmental record

Eriel Deranger, a Rainforest Action Network organizer, scaled RBC's flagpoles at Bay St. and Front St. this morning to unfurl a banner that read "Please help us Mrs. Nixon" in an effort to stop the Canadian bank investing in Alberta's tar sands. (BRYN WEESE/SUN MEDIA)

A group of environmental protesters scaled the flagpoles of RBC's downtown offices today and unfurled a large banner asking the wife of the Canadian bank's ceo to stop investing in Alberta's tar sands.

The "Please help us Mrs. Nixon" demonstration, which took place just north of Front St. on Bay St., ended at about 9 a.m. and police were on scene as two protesters scaled the flagpoles.

The Rainforest Action Network, which organized the campaign and hosts the website pleasehelpusmrsnixon.com, is concerned about RBC's investments in Alberta's tar sands projects.

But a spokesman for RBC, which has committed $50 million toward global fresh water initiatives over the next 10 years, said yesterday they are "proud" of their "environmentally responsible business activities."

"We are proud of our leadership in environmental responsibility and are actively involved in promoting and following environmentally responsible business activities," wrote Matt Gierasimczuk in an email to the Sun.

The Rainforest Action Network claims extracting oil from the tar sands causes three times the greenhouse gases than extracting conventional oil.